Replacing Eberechi Eze was never going to be simple for Crystal Palace.
The England midfielder, who joined Arsenal this summer, left behind a remarkable legacy — 40 goals and 28 assists in 169 appearances, including a historic FA Cup final strike that secured Palace’s first-ever major trophy.
Yet Ismaila Sarr has quickly emerged as the Eagles’ new talisman. The Senegal forward has made an electric start to life at Selhurst Park, netting eight goals in 15 matches this season and proving instrumental in Palace’s resurgence.
On Thursday, Sarr’s double helped Palace to a 3-1 victory over AZ Alkmaar — their first-ever home win in the Europa Conference League — further strengthening their credentials as genuine contenders for the title.
But Sarr’s impact went far beyond the scoresheet.
The 27-year-old was relentless throughout, combining blistering pace, sharp movement, and intelligent link-up play with Jean-Philippe Mateta.
He struck the post early on and then won a penalty after being brought down by AZ goalkeeper Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro — though Mateta failed to convert from the spot.
Undeterred, Sarr continued to threaten and was eventually rewarded, reacting quickest to bundle the ball home just before half-time after his initial header was saved.
He sealed the victory in the second half, racing onto Mateta’s through ball before calmly slotting in his second and Palace’s third of the night.
“Sarr is in red-hot form,” said former Palace captain Joel Ward on TNT Sports. “When he has space to attack, very few defenders can live with him. He showed composure, intelligence, and that cutting edge you need in Europe.”
Ward also praised Sarr’s role within Oliver Glasner’s tactical setup.
“Playing centrally with Mateta dropping deeper creates those gaps for Sarr and the attacking midfielders to exploit. It’s difficult for defenders to track, and Sarr is thriving in that freedom.”
Sarr’s brace continued his impressive run of four goals in three games, leaving him on course to surpass last season’s tally of 12.
Signed from Marseille in 2024 for around £12.5 million, Sarr was initially seen as a replacement for Michael Olise, who left for Bayern Munich that summer. With Eze’s departure following a year later, that deal now looks like a masterstroke.
Manager Oliver Glasner praised Sarr’s growing influence, calling him “an important player” in Palace’s evolving system.
“He’s adapted really well,” said Glasner. “When he uses his pace and times his runs, he’s incredibly dangerous. He reminds me of some of his goals from last season — against Brighton and Arsenal — same precision, same composure. He creates space for others just by the way he moves.”
With two English clubs having lifted the Conference League trophy in the past three seasons, Palace have every reason to believe they can join that list.
Thursday’s win came as a welcome response to their shock defeat against AEK Larnaca in their previous home fixture.
“It was important to get that first home win,” Glasner said after the match. “The atmosphere was fantastic — you could feel how much it meant to everyone. Hopefully, it’s just the first of many special European nights here.”
As Palace’s European campaign gathers pace, one thing is clear: with Ismaila Sarr in this kind of form, Eberechi Eze’s absence is no longer a void — it’s an opportunity the Senegalese star is seizing in spectacular fashion.
